our elected representatives are just that, elected. in order to win, a candidate must campaign to convince the voters that he or she is the best choice for the job. and campaigning requires many critical decisions. should limited resources go to court this group or that? should candidates just focus on their own political ideas or mount a negative attack on the opponent? and how should thorny issues be handled? one thing is certain -- key to winning at every level is the crucial word "strategy." one issue nearly derailed the campaign of john f. kennedy, the 35th president of the united states -- he was a catholic. in 1960, there was a certain amount of anti-catholic sentiment in the country, so a catholic running for president was a big deal. so much so that a usually insignificant democratic primary in the rural state of west virginia became a do-or-die election for the young politician. some hoped he would fail and clear the way for other candidates, but when kennedy arrived in west virginia in late april 1960, he was riding high. he